Ride Safer 3 Travel Vest Review

The Ride Safer 3 Travel Vest is the continuation in the line of travel vests from Safe Traffic System, Inc. It’s an alternative form of child restraint for situations where traditional carseats or belt positioning boosters may not work, such as narrow 3-across situations, air travel, grandparents’ vehicles, or infrequent carpools. The travel vest is lightweight and highly portable, which makes it popular as a vacation “seat.”

There are two versions of the Ride Safer Travel Vest: version 2 and version 3. The main difference between the two is that ver. 3 is for vehicles with lap/shoulder belts only. Essentially, you will only be using the Ride Safer (RS) with newer vehicles, so it makes a great vest for traveling with if you’ll be using rental cars since they turn their fleets over so quickly. The RS2 can also be used with a lap-only belt and when used with one, requires the use of a tether. The RS3 takes all the guesswork out of how to use the vest: you use it with a lap/shoulder belt only. No muss, no fuss with tethers or crotch belts. As usual, a picture explains things better.

Why might you need a Ride Safer Travel Vest?

There are lots of everyday situations where a vest like this would be handy for a parent to throw into a backpack for a child or into a backseat for another parent to use during carpools. It’s very lightweight and small enough not to take up precious amounts of luggage space; since it’s just 1.2 pounds, those parents who travel internationally won’t have to worry as much about carry-on weight limit issues. To give a little perspective, it weighs less than a typical plastic bottle of water you’d buy at the airport.

Is it easy to use?

Check out the video. It takes less than a minute for a child to put the vest on and thread the seatbelt through the belt guides. It’s not as fast as a booster, but this is a specialty item most likely being used in special circumstances where taking a few extra seconds won’t be a problem.

What do kids think?

They don’t seem to mind the design of the vest. My 57″ dd thought the vest was comfortable but at age 10.5, she’s a true tween and very image conscious. I’m quite sure a year ago she wouldn’t have minded the look. My 13 yr old ds, who is a space geek, thinks it’s not so bad.

Is it safe?

I never thought you’d ask. Vests fall under the same federal regulations as carseats do, FMVSS 213. So yes, the RS3 is certified to meet FMVSS 213. And because the child sits on the vehicle seat itself, the child has a lower center of gravity so head excursion is reduced, as is knee excursion because there’s no carseat behind the child pushing her forward.

Is it FAA-approved?

No. Since airplanes have lap-only belts and since the RS3 can only be installed using a lap/shoulder belt, it should be stowed in your carryon luggage on an airplane. If you want a restraint for the airplane, the CARES harness is also highly portable and works well in conjunction with the RS3.

I remember when the original Ride Safer Travel Vest came on the market years ago. Everyone, CPS professionals and parents alike, wondered if Safe Traffic System, Inc. and its product were for real. They’ve persevered in a very tough field and continued to make improvements to their products bringing us to the Ride Safer 3. Kids love the design of the vest and are comfortable in it. Parents love the vest because it’s so highly portable and easy to travel with, not to mention easy to fit in a tight 3-across situation where nothing else will work.

Thank you to Safe Traffic System, Inc. for providing the Ride Safer 3 for our review.

Do you think this is a good option for a 4 yr 4 month old that’s 46 lbs and 44″? Or do you think she’s still too young and should be harnessed? I know the specs say 3 yrs minimum but the CSFTL review says kids closer to 5 yrs are better suited. Thank you!

TylerJune 7, 2016

I am very interested in the RS2 for my autistic son as currently he is able to get his chest harness and the shoulder strap off of him in every car seat we have tried. I don’t think he would be able to defeat the tether system but the Ridesafe website says the RS2 is only for kids up to 60lbs. He is 6 and already 58lbs. Would the RS2 still work? From some of the other comments it sounds like the RS2 and RS3 are for the same size kids…

BonnieJune 18, 2016

If you check the Safe Ride 4 Kids website you’ll see size small is 30-60 pounds and large is 50-80 pounds. RS2 is for use with shoulder belts and lap-only belts (with a tether) and RS3 is for should belts only. I also got an update–they are releasing a booster called Delighter Booster to be used with either of the vests, in August 2016. (The one included for the EU market is currently not sold separately, and the vests are not crashtested with other booster seats).

Anna QuigleyDecember 3, 2014

I have a very wiggly 5.5 year old. I tried him in a booster for a few days but he’s nowhere near ready for it. He’s almost outgrown our Nautilus and Radian so I was looking at a Frontier, but with 3 across, this looks like a better option. Will this work for a very wiggly kid?

@Kate, it’s certainly something you could try, but it’s really only the vehicle’s seat belt holding him in place. The Ride Safer 2 Vest has tether attachments that would help, but until he’s able to really sit well, a harnessed seat is the best route for him. An inexpensive option for the grandparents’ cars would be the Evenflo SureRide/Titan 65. It has taller harness slots than the Radian, a weight limit of 65 lbs., and costs less than $100. Wal-Mart has started carrying a version of the Titan 65 .

KateSeptember 21, 2014

My son has low muscle tone and is not “booster trained” but sits up fine in his frontier and Radian. His issue is climbing up into the car seats. His physical therapist suggested this seat for him. He is also big for his age (almost five). He is 51 lbs and 44 inche. Would this be a good option for him? I would love to have something he can use for multiple cars since he rides with both grandparents and I hate to shell out anther 400 for two new radians. Thank you!

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